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I get cranky when it’s hot. At first, I just feel tired and everything seems too hard. Then something flips my switch and I’m off. Raging. Every day niggles suddenly becomes unbearable provocations and I find myself giving my son a roasting for the terrible crime of spilling pencil shavings on the rug. So what happens to me when the temperature rises? And what can do to keep calm? The answers can be found in Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science (Ayurveda = ‘Science of Life”). Ayurveda tells us about the three doshas or 'constitutions' - Pitta, Vata and Kapha.

Pitta dosha is made up of the Fire and Earth elements. It is the Fire element that can get out of control during the summer and bring out the heated behaviour that my poor children have been witnessing!My constitution is mainly Pitta, but we all have a bit of Pitta in our make-up and these hot summer days can aggravate any of us if our Pitta dosha gets out of balance. Here’s a run-down of Pitta characteristics and some tips for keeping that fire in check during the hot weather!

Key Characteristics of Pitta Dosha

When Pitta dosha is in balance, Pitta-dominant people are characterised by:

Average or athletic physical build

Fine hair (often blonde or red) that tends to early grey

Strong, robust appetite and metabolism

Sharp intelligence

Amazing ability to organise people and events

When Pitta dosha gets out of balance through environmental changes, diet (watch out for those chillis) or lifestyle choices (maybe ease off the hot yoga classes during summer), Pitta-dominant people often experience:

Nikola Ellis is the founder of Adore Yoga, yoga therapist, counsellor and teacher trainer. She conducts regular trainings that help people of all ages, shapes and abilities enjoy the benefits of yoga and meditation, including Meditation Facilitator Certificate Trainings; Level 1 200hr Teacher Training and Post Graduate Yoga Teacher Training in Mental Health, Adaptive Asana and the Foundations of Yoga Therapy and a highly regarded professional 650hr Graduate Certificate of Yoga Therapy.